Victor Harbor will be among the first to get a new generation electric vehicle charging station with a state government grant to the Victor Harbor Beachfront Holiday Park.

The park, along with Pasadena Shopping Centre and Flinders University are among the organisations receiving funding the smart charging stations.

Smart charging services will be supported by a 1,000kW/1,250kWh battery energy storage system.

The system will be charged during periods of high renewable energy generation in South Australia.

Smart chargers, providing up to 100kW of power to a vehicle, will fully charge an electric vehicle in 15 to 45 minutes.

These trials will complement South Australia’s state-wide EV Charging Network being rolled out by the RAA, with over 500 charging stations, at 140 sites in 52 locations across the state.

Infrastructure Minister Tom Koutsantonis says forecasting suggests there could be around 170,000 electric vehicles on South Australian roads by 2030.

“Drivers will be demanding smart charging options, which we will be delivering as we continue our world leadership in renewable energy.

“Our government is taking huge steps toward reducing carbon emissions through the Hydrogen Jobs Plan investment of $593 million.

“The electric vehicle smart charging trials will contribute towards our target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

The Victor Harbor Beachfront Holiday Park has been granted $176,820 for its smart charging station.

It is one of eight grants, totalling almost $3 million, to boost EV charging.

Victor Harbor already has one charging station, on Stuart Street next to Grosvenor Gardens, provided by the local council.

A majority of motorists are considering buying an electric vehicle when purchasing their next car, according to an RAA survey.

The survey of drivers shows 62 per cent would consider an EV as their next car purchase – a significant increase compared to the 42 per cent of members who made the same claim in a survey held in May 2020.